CLXX REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



of fresli fish ever taken in the market fishery Avas landed February 18, 

 1891, when the schooner Sea Fox, of Gloucester, as a result of a trip 

 lasting" one week, brought in l.'52,r)00 pounds of fresh cod, luiddock, 

 hake, eusk, and halibut taken on the Cape Shore. The total quantity 

 of fish landed at Boston by the market lieet was (i.S,()2(J,517 pounds, 

 with a value to the fishermen of not less than .*iri, 738,440. Of the 

 foregoing catch, 20,904,870 pounds were taken in the South Channel 

 and 12,870,805 pounds on Georges Bank. Haddock constituted 

 33,800,197 pounds, cod 10,055,200 pounds, hake 12,347,730 pounds, cusk 

 2,814,170 pounds, pollock 1,220,505 pounds, and halibut J,122,715 

 ])0unds. The schooner Sea Fox was the "high liner"' of the fieet, 

 stocking $20,009, the value of 1,288,350 pounds of fresh fish. 



The salt-cod fishery was somewhat less successful than in 1890. Most 

 of the vessels that went to the Grand Banks secured only partial fares, 

 iilthough the prices received for the fish were usually high, being at 

 the close of the season $4.75 per cwt. for large cod and $3.75 per cwt. 

 for small cod, sold from the vessel. Cod were also scarce on Georges 

 Bank and the salt fish brought the fishermen as much as $5 per cwt. 

 for large and $3.75 per cwt. for small cod. The vessel in the bank cod 

 fishery that had the largest stock was the schooner WilUam E. Morrisey, 

 of (xloucester, which landed 482,275 pounds, which sold for $18,277. 



The salt-cod fishery carried on at the Sluunagin Islands and in 

 Okhotsk Sea by San Francisco vessels, which is one of the principal 

 oftshore fisheries of the Pacific coast, was quite successful in 1891. 

 More fish were landed than during any year since 1885. The aggre- 

 gate catch was 3,870,000 pounds of dried fish, equivalent to about 

 1,290,900 individual cod. 



Vessels which went to Iceland for fares of fietched halibut did well, 

 although no very large fares were landed. The aggregate yield was 

 1,542,900 pounds of salt fish and 541 barrels of fins. The largest 

 catch, 214,000 pounds, was taken by the schooner Senator Saulsbury, 

 of Gloucester, and sold for $13,094. The bank fresh-halibut fishery 

 was not generally successful. On the eastern grounds the fish were 

 scarce and were found in deeper water than usual. The best fishing- 

 was on Georges Bank, where a few good fares were taken. The pro- 

 duct of the fresh-halibut fishery was about 7,400,000 pounds, of. which 

 about 2,000,000 pounds came from. Georges Bank. 



THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 



Mackerel, which since 1885 have not been abundant, continued to be 

 scarce, but the catch was about three times as large as in 1890, aggre- 

 gating about 48,000 barrels of salt fish, worth $544,000, and about 

 4,375,000 pounds of fresh fish, valued at $491,000. The season opened 

 auspiciously, and the prospects for a large catch were considered good, 

 but the mackerel did not ap])ear in tlie anticipated numbers. As the 

 season advanced, the fish were found to l)e most abundant in the Gulf 

 of INIainc, and it was iiere that the ])rincii)al catch was made. The 



